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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. P. VINTON. TRAMWAY.

No. 453,095. Patented May.Z6,1891.

WITNESSES /N VENTOR mzM. 7 M

, A TTORNEYS m: NORRIS PETKHS ca, mom-mun wAsHmuwN, n. c.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. F. VINTON. TRAMWAY.

No. 453,095. Patented May 26,1891.

WITNESSES INVENTOI'? A TTOHNE Y S FFICE.

NITED STATES PATENT JOHN F. VINTON, OF SPOKANE FALLS, \VASl-IINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH S. HAM, OF SAME PLACE.

TRAMWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 453,095, dated May 26, 1891.

Application filed November 18, 1890. Serial No. 371,797. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern..- the arms of vertical posts, as described below, Be 1t known that I, J. F. VINTON, of Spothe ends of the tubes being within, as shown kane Falls, in the county of Spokane and at a, and the tubes having lateral openings State of Washington, have invented a new near the ends, as bestshown in Fig. 5, so that 5 and Improved Tramway, of which the followthe cable A may pass through the openings ing is a full, clear, and exact description. and out through the ends of the tube, the My invention relates to improvements in ends of the cable being secured to the bolts tramways, and is specially designed for car- I; on the vertical posts B, and as the ends of rying sacked ores and other material, being the tubes are thin there will be no jolting as no peculiarly adapted for use in mining where the trolley passes from the tubes to thecable. mines are located highin the mountains,whicl1 The posts B are provided with projecting is usually the case, and'where inclines are arms 0, which support the track, although easily obtained to outlets in the valleys, such the arms may be attached to trees or otherv as streams, railroads, or refining-mills. suitable supports where such supports are I 5 The object of the invention is to produce a convenient, and the tubes A are preferably simple, cheap, and convenient tramway, by arranged upon the arms and also at points means of which ores or other material may where the track curves, as shown at a. be conveyed by gravity; and to this end my Where there is a curve in the track, two cables invention consists in certain features of conare used, the cables being passed through the 2o struction and combinations of parts, which ends and side openings of the tubes, which will be hereinafter described and claimed. may be curved to any desired extent, and the Reference is to behad to the accompanying ends of the cable are fixed to bolts 6 in the drawings, forming apart of this specification, vertical supports B, the supports being arin which similar letters of reference indicate rangedbehind the curved tubes,and the cables 25 corresponding parts in all the figures. will thus cross each other, as best shown in Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of the Fig. 2, the cables being braced and supported tramway with the trolley and a loaded sack near their point of intersection by the plates in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan view of 0, which extend from one cable to another, the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a broken the ends of the plates being bent around the 8o 30 detail View of one of the spring-arms for supcables, as shown at a in Fig. 4..

porting the track. Fig. 4 is a Vertical cross- The tubes A are preferably united, as best section on the line a 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a shown in Fig. 6, by having one end of atube broken longitudinal section showing the manrovided with a projecting screw, as shown at nor in which the track-cable is connected a and having the end of the tube to which 3 5 with the track-tubes. Fig. 6 is an enlarged it is united provided with an internal thread broken sectional view showing the connecto receive the screw. The tubes will thus be tion between the track-cable and the tubes held firmly together and their outer surfaces and also the means for connecting the tubes. will be on the same line. A convenient form Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section on the line 7 of supporting the tubes is shown in. Figs. 6 4o 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. Sis a broken side elevation, and 7, in which an arm (3 is fixed to one of partly in section, of the trolley. Fig. 9 is a the supports B, the arm having a flattened plan view of the same. head 0 and the tube having an elongated ThetrackAiscomposed, preferably, of aseopening a on its under side to receive the ries of connected tubes A and a cable A head, and the arm is twisted so that the head 5 45 which is anchored at the ends, and which is may be inserted flatwise through the openmade to pass through the ends of the tubes, in g to, and is then turned at right angles to although either the tubes or the cable may the tubes and attached to the support, thus be used separately, if desired, without departcausing the head 0 to extend transversely ing from the principle of my invention. The across the inner opening of the tube, as is 5 tubes A are made strong enough to support best shown in Fig. 7.

the trolley, and the tubes are supported upon A cable A is preferably used where along span is to be made or where a gulch is to be crossed, and to prevent excessive vibration the posts on opposite sides of the gulch or the long span are provided with frames D,and rods E extend vertically through the frames, so as to move therein, the lower ends of the rods being bent laterally to form the arms E, which support the cable, and the rods are each provided with a collar e, between which and the lower end of the frame D is a spiral spring 6, the springs thus allowing the arms E and rods E to yield, thus counteracting the tendency of the cable to vibrate.

The trolley which is used to run upon the track A has a wheel F, which is grooved to fit the track, and a carriage is formed of the bar G, which is bent over the wheel, as shown V at g, one end extending down far enough to receive the pivotfof the wheel at the opposite end from the main portion of the bar, the pivot-pin extending through the end of the bar and through the opposite side or main section. The main portion of the bar G extends below the wheel F and is bent inwardly, as shown at g, so that the lower end of the bar, which is formed into a hook g to carry the load, will be directly beneath the center of the wheel F.

A U shaped frame H is pivoted to the wheel F by the pivot f, so as to embrace the same and the carriage and extends rearwardly therefrom, and at the end of the U-shaped frame is a projecting flange H, to which is bolted the end j of the spring J, the said spring extending over the top of the wheel and beneath the bend in the bar G and the end of the spring being formed into a brakeshoe J, which fits the groove of the wheel.

To the flange II of the U-shaped frame H is hinged the flange 7c of the frame K, so that the frame may turn laterally, but cannot tip vertically on the flange II, and fixed in the frame K is a wheel L, which is grooved, as shown in Fig. 9, so that it will fit upon the track A. The wheel L is adapted to act as an additional brake, and it has a square hole in the center to receive the bolt K, so that it will not turn, and it may be taken out and given a quarter-turn or more in case it becomes worn on one side.

Fixed to the frame K on one side is a depending arm M, the lower end of which is connected by a spring M with the depending bar G, the spring thus serving as an equalizer, so that when the trolley is running upon a slight incline the wheel L will press but lightly on the track, and when the trolley is running upon a steeper incline the tension of the spring will cause the wheel to press more firmly upon the track, and thus maintain a uniform speed of the trolley. On the opposite side of the frame K is pivoted a depending arm N, which extends below the track and serves as a guide to prevent the wheel L from leaving the track, the arm being connected by a spring N with the flange H of the frame H, so that when the arm is tilted back by reason of striking one of the supporting-arms of the track it will be immediately pulled back to place by means of the spring.

A sack P is used for carrying materials, although any suitable sack may be used, and the sack is secured upon the hook g of the bar G. The trolley is placed upon the track with the arm N next the supporting-post and with the wheel L in the rear or above the wheel F. The sack P is hooked to the trolley in the manner described, and the sack and trolley will be carried by gravity to a desired point at a lower elevation from that at which it is started.

The operation of the trolley is as follows: \Vhen traveling at a slight incline, it will run freely upon the track; but when the incline is steeper the tendency to increased speed is overcome by means of the brake J and the wheel L, for when the inclines grow steeper the wheel L and the rear end of the frame H are raised, and the friction is increased by the additional pressure of the wheel upon the track, as described above, and also by the spring J coming in contact with the top of the bar G, and thus forcing the brake-shoe J against the wheel F.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a tramway, the combination, with the track and the vertical supports, of frames secured to the supports and spring-pressed rods mounted vertically in the frames and having their lower ends bent to form supporting-arms for the track, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a tramway of the character described, the trolley comprising a wheel, a bar pivoted to the wheel and having a hook at its lower end, a frame pivoted on the bar, a frame hinged to the bar-frame and having a wheel fixed therein aligning with the pivoted wheel, and a spring connection between the frame of the fixed wheel and the lower portion of the bar, substantially as described.

3. In a tramway of the character described, the trolley comprising the wheel adapted to run upon the track, a bar doubledv over the wheel and pivoted thereto, the lower end of the bar being formed into a hook, a U-shaped frame pivoted to the bar and extending rearwardly around the wheel, a frame hinged to the U -shaped frame, a wheel fixed in the hinged frame and adapted to fit the tramwaytrack, and a spring connection between the frame and the hook-bar, substantially as de scribed.

4. The trolley comprising a wheel to run on the tramway-track, a bar pivoted to the Wheel and having its upper end extending over the wheel and. its lower end formed into a hook, a U -shaped frame pivoted to the bar and wheel, a frame hinged to the U shaped frame and provided with a wheel to rest upon the track, and a spring fixed to the U -shaped frame and extending over the Wheel and be- 1 its end formed into a brake-shoe, substanneath the main bar, said spring having its end formed into a shoe to fit the trolley-Wheel, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the trolley-Wheel, the hook-bar doubled over the Wheel and pivoted thereto, and the U shaped frame pivoted to the bar and Wheel and embracing the latter, of a frame hinged to the U-shaped frame and provided with a wheel adapted to rest upon the track, and a spring fixed to the U- shaped frame and extending over the Wheel and beneath the hook-bar, said spring having tially as described.

6. The combination, with the frame earryin g the fixed Wheel, said frame being connected with the main trolley-bar, as described,0f a spring-pressed guide-bar pivoted to the frame and extending downward therefrom, 20

substantially as described.

J. F. VINTON.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS D. GAMBLE, A. S. DIBBLE. 

